Come Back (A Jason Todd One Shot)
by missgotham
Summary: Jason gets an unusual visitor while he's working on a case. (Rated T for language)


Jason stands on top of the old warehouse, back hunched over. His ebony colored hair flutters against the late night wind, but he takes no notice of it. His gun is ready and the weight of it in his hands feels perfect. As if his hand was meant to hold it, like the gun was molded to fit just right in Jason's hand. The metal doesn't feel cool in his hand anymore and sweat drips down from him gripping it too hard. His fingers itch for the trigger, but he knows it isn't time yet. Jason hops down from his ledge, inching closer to his target. _What are you fighting for, Todd?_ _Justice,_ He tells himself. His leather jacket keeps the Gotham City wind away from his body, but it still nips his cheeks. He's sure they have turned pink, if not red already. Those drug lords are sure to find that intimidating. But they won't notice, will they? Jason will have them full of bullets before they can say "Cheeks."

He checks to make sure the gun is loaded for the 3rd time. He's been waiting for what seems like an eternity. It's eerily silent in Gotham tonight. No police sirens, no screaming. It's enough to make Jason shiver. He adjusts his mask, trying to pass the time. Jason stares down at the empty lot below him and cracks his knuckles. The cracking noise kills the silence, but only for a moment. He is tempted to light up a cigarette, but resists. The smoke would give him away and it wasn't worth it. He wishes he could go back to his safe house. He would be able to have a good smoke, eat something, go to sleep. But he had been following this lead for too long. Nothing was going to take him away from it.

And before he can do anything about it, Jason feels a tug at his jacket. _Shit, _he thinks. He turns to face his attacker, only to see a woman in a black costume. He looks a bit closer and sees the bat symbol. Even worse. Another bat freak sent by the man himself. Bruce just wouldn't give up, would he? At least Jason wouldn't have to worry about her being a threat. None of the brainwashed sidekicks Batman had sent before had done any damage. They had been instructed specifically not to harm him in any way. But he did not recognize this one.

When Dick had come to talk to him, Jason knew it was him and what to expect. A boring speech about how Bruce still loves him, etc. Barbara wasn't much different, she was a bit harsher, although not by much. Then came the replacement. Jason had completely ignored him, with all of his "uh's" and "umm's." But this one... This one seemed different. Jason couldn't read her. All he knows is that she was obviously a girl (with a nice body, he thought to himself) and she was part of the Bat Family. Jason can't see her face, as it is covered with a mask. She is slim and short and he knows he could take her in a fight. He knows it won't come to that though.

She puts a knife to his neck. Where the hell had that come from? She's small, but she drags him up to higher ground. Jason is too shocked to do anything about it. None of the bats were supposed to use violence. What makes her so special? Jason has no idea, but he's in awe of the girl. He isn't sure how she can see with her mask, but she obviously manages. He's confused. Last time he checked, a girl named Stephanie Brown was Batgirl. She was tall and blonde. Definitely not this girl. Jason runs the possibilities through his mind. A wannabe? Too well trained. Another Batgirl? No. That would get too confusing.

"Who... What..." He has the words in his head, but they don't make it to his mouth.

"I am Black Bat. Batman has sent me." She speaks with a slight accent, one that Jason cannot place.

"Look here Baby Bat, I don't know who you are, but Bruce has already sent his best soldiers to bring me back. It ain't happening, sweetheart." Jason slowly regains his confidence and a smirk plays on his lips.

"Did I not speak clearly?" She asks with a hint of confusion. "I am Black Bat."

"Oh I heard you. Loud and clear."

"Then what's the problem?"

"Bruce doesn't own me, Baby Bat. You can give him the same message I gave the rest of his little family." Jason says spitefully. "Now, if you don't mind, I have a job to do."

He turns to look over the lot. There's still nothing and no one there. He hopes he hasn't gotten a bad tip and he shakes the thought out of his mind. There's no way this tip was bad. He had been following this lead for weeks and it had to pay off. These scumbags were going to pay.

"The drug lords? Taken care of." She says simply.

Jason can feel the rage building in the pit of his stomach, "What do you mean, 'taken care of?'" He questions through grit teeth.

"Exactly that. They are taken care of. All of them have been injured and are in police custody."

_ That's why it was taking so damn long..._ Jason thinks. He checks around the other side of the lot and the last police car is driving away. He didn't understand how he had missed all that sound. Something wasn't right.

"We had them taken care of before you got here." She explains, as if she has read his mind.

He is irritated. This was supposed to be his job and Batman just had to mess it up. Jason had worked his ass off on this case and had lost countless nights of sleeping, smoking, and drinking because of it. Then Bruce decides to take care of it and just like that it's over. Jason did all the work, Batman got the thrill of beating up the scum.

"Now we can talk." The girl says.

She takes off her mask and a petite face is revealed. She has short hair, much darker than Jason's and it's messy from being under her costume. She looks young, younger than Jason, but he can't be sure. She's Asian, Tibetan maybe?

And, she's pretty.

A different type of pretty than Barbara or Stephanie. She looks... Different. Not that typical bubbly blonde like Stephanie, but not the cute nerdy ginger like Barbara. This "Black Bat" is completely different and Jason kind of likes it. He looks at her, waiting for her to start the same old Bruce speech. It doesn't come. He tries to hide his shock and awe, but somehow she can still read him.

"I'm not like the others. I'm not going to give you the speech they did. But I have to ask, why won't you come back?"  
"Didn't Bruce tell you the whole story of why I left in the first place?" Jason rolls his eyes.

She adjusts how she is seating, as if settling for a story. She looks up at him expectantly and Jason slowly starts his story. There's something about her that opens Jason up. Joker killed him. Ra's al Ghul brought him back in his pit thing. He went insane and came back to Gotham, only to find that Joker was still alive. He didn't understand why Bruce let him live after all that he's done. And Jason has been cleaning up Gotham ever since, ignoring Batman completely. Jason mentally applauds himself for keeping a scowl on the whole time he was telling his little back story.

"I wouldn't go back either." She says quietly.

That's not what he is expecting to hear and it catches him off guard.

"What?" He stutters.

"I see where you're coming from. I would be mad if someone I thought loved me didn't avenge me."

"He was like a father to me. Isn't a parent's love supposed to be unconditional?" Jason sighs.

"I wouldn't know. I didn't find Bruce until I was 17. I left my real father when I was 8."

And soon they are talking and venting. He makes her laugh and she says so much with so few words. Jason marvels at how she can read people's body language so well. He learns her name is really Cassandra and he calls her Cass (along with the occasional Baby Bat). Cass makes Jason feel more comfortable and he realizes he hasn't had a real conversation with anyone since confronting Bruce about the Joker. Maybe the reason he is opening up so much is from loneliness. He thinks about it and knows he needs to shut up, quickly. When Cass asks him more questions, he gives short, vague answers. It doesn't take Cass long to figure out what has happened.

"This conversation never happened, deal?" She says suddenly.

Jason looks at her and nods, "Okay."

"I'll tell Bruce that you gave me the same answer as the others." Cass turns to leave.

For a moment, he wants to hold her back. Tell her he wants to come back to the mansion with her. Forgive Bruce. Be part of a family again.

But he doesn't. And soon she is hopping over rooftops.

"See you around, Baby Bat." He yells after her.

And he swears he hears her laugh from a distance.


End file.
